Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-04
the hell that lies in them words-the


dockage boss. He is the slave driver
that holds q whip over us all the
time. His chalkmark has got to be stood
to, clean coal or dirty. There amt
no appeal from his say-so. Aud you bet
he earns his salary every time. If he
DONE, the company sin't no use for him.
God, l have seen men come out of the
mine and 60 trenholm like towards to
| the Office to look in that awful glass case
which tells the dockeges. l have seen
tears burst like rain from the eyes OF
strong men who was e-Workin' and
s-toilin', cftentimes with bleedin' hands.
a-hsndlin' Of the sberp co2l, end s-tryin'
to get food for sick wives and shoes for
their Children's fee:, when they come to
see the figures and see their work all
gUEe for nGuEhl. You think I'm DRAWN
II steep, sir. Nay God strike me dead ii
every word of it amt true"
For long while heard this talS about
working for nothing end working g. g loss
without being acle to max head CT tail
GU, Of it. l took il as figure of speech.
Then one day fl unusually clever miner
began to talk figures. l put them down
ard the thing became &c clear as day. 1t
is in the power of the docking boss, by
s sweep Of piece Of chalk, to blot out
the profits CT 81 entire days work. That
ne earns MS salary st an expense Of the
poor miners there is, unhsppily, no room
for doubt. In few-a very feW-mines
the docking system is sort OF averaging
affair, making the clean and careful
miner pay for the shi!iless, dirty work Of
ais laz,er brethren. But IN the vast ma
jority of leases, IS THOUSANDS Of miners
stand ready to prove, ftamounts to down
rigat robbery.
Outside the regular doCkage for alleged
slate in the scoal, the men complain OF
many Irregular ways OF cutting into their
sCanty earnings. liz some of the mines
IL is broken contracts. a man contracts
to do certain piece OF work a. certain
time. As the end of the work he figures
up his earnings. but 10! when he goes TO
the Captain'S Ctlice TO settle he fllGS him
self put down for g lower figure. When
he makes complaint that tee contract price
has not been lived up 20 be IS calmly told
that no euCh price was ever agreed
upon. There is his money. He mSY take
it or leave i, as best suits him. In
such 6 case what c5D g poor fellow do!
He has the Americans inaGenable righ'
To sue, thus cutting himself of from al
nope for further work from that company
or any other member Of the coal octopus
Il ne sues he will have his claim contested
I'll the way TO the court Of appeals, and
there will be nothing TO support il bu'
his own oath opposed to that Of his boss
What can he do, indeed, but grin and
bear ii? Cases have been brought
TO my attention where Temunera
tion has been cut down onc-hali
in just this way, and ii other cases where
work for which IS 40 hGd been prOmiset
Tas cut down $40 and $50. On ore
, occasion G committee from one Of tht
, Coke Brothers & Co.'S miaes went severa
times to Driitcn to place their grievance:
before General Superintendent kudlCA
, but they always found it impossible 4
get sn audience.
II oidenstimes, il Il mau suffered from
/, q fall OF rock by 10 fault OF his OWE, thj
: company cleared it away. Now ne mus
do IL at his own expense.
: II mis- vein gees back on him, and there
is much rock blasting necessary, he mus
do it, and if necessary to keep a gang
way clear must load it Ell for the larg,
D sum CT nCthiug, and al the While PAYNE
t the company 81 80 for SI.25 blesliGI
powder. In a hundred petty Wsys lik
these itching fingers are always stretch
g ing cut to deplete his slender pittanc
I and drag him ever pauparward. Ar
robbery and ex:oEt!on too strong word
t to apply to this scandalous business
9 "The rich richer, the poor poorer?
c The phrase has grown commonplace, VI
= hear it SO often, YET 1t is the unvarnishe
\ truth when applied TO the slaves {
I Pennsylvania, the saddest Of all example
II OF mans greedy last Cor gold.